Restaurant news: Joel Antunes fired

[BillVol]

Joel Antunes, who was the chef at Atlanta's 5-star, 5-diamond "The Dining Room" at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead before starting his own place in Atlanta called "Joel," was fired from his most recent job at NYC's Oak Room. It was surprising when Joel left Atlanta and now it looks like he won't be coming back. He no longer has any ownership in his namesake restaurant. The article below contains two scathing reviews of the Oak Room under Antunes. Wow, you just never know!


http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2009 ... aza-hotel/

[lonewolf]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

[Pego]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

Yep. Add some good pot roast and chicken soup to the menu, yes Sir.

[SQUACKEE]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

Only a dollop?! Are you mad? The spuds should be roughly the size of a NFL football.

[marknhj]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

In over twenty years living in the US I've only eaten chicken fried steak once, in a restaurant in Dallas' West End. It was truly disgusting. I take it I should give it another chance?

[SQUACKEE]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

In over twenty years living in the US I've only eaten chicken fried steak once, in a restaurant in Dallas' West End. It was truly disgusting. I take it I should give it another chance?

Do you like steak, fried foods, white gravy, mash potatos? If you do and its done right it should be pretty darn good, even better than Kidney pie! :P

[marknhj]

Do you like steak, fried foods, white gravy, mash potatos? If you do and its done right it should be pretty darn good, even better than Kidney pie! :P

Of course I like the above. However, I've never before eaten a kidney pie. Are they good? Or do you mean a steak and kidney pie?

[DrJay]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

In over twenty years living in the US I've only eaten chicken fried steak once, in a restaurant in Dallas' West End. It was truly disgusting. I take it I should give it another chance?

From the land of the "full breakfast" and you find chicken fried steak disgusting?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_breakfast

[SQUACKEE]

Do you like steak, fried foods, white gravy, mash potatos? If you do and its done right it should be pretty darn good, even better than Kidney pie! :P

Of course I like the above. However, I've never before eaten a kidney pie. Are they good? Or do you mean a steak and kidney pie?

Yeah, why put steak in there when you could have nothin but kidney? :P

[lonewolf]

I am surprised so many people ever heard of the guy. The real test of a chef, of course, is chicken fried steak, tender, lightly breaded and non-greasy, with a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes, smothered in cream gravy ... now, thats eating. .

In over twenty years living in the US I've only eaten chicken fried steak once, in a restaurant in Dallas' West End. It was truly disgusting. I take it I should give it another chance?

There is good chicken fried steak and bad chicken fried steak. The latter outnumbers the former. Don' t give up. You gotta know where to go or get lucky in your choice of greasy spoon diner. I would not expect Dallas West End, in its heyday, would have such an establishment..
My late mother set the standard by which I judge chicken fry. My late wife almost mastered the art.
I know of several rural towns with good chicken fry but only about four places in OKC pass the chicken fry test... and this is chicken fry country. One is Annies Chicken Fry on old Route 66, still has the original furniture and fixtures inside and 50s cars, some driven by customers, parked outside.

[marknhj]

From the land of the "full breakfast" and you find chicken fried steak disgusting?

No, I found the one chicken fried steak I ate disgusting. To a degree I've never tried it again. Anyway, I used to eat either Kellog's cornflakes or toast and marmalade for breakfast

lonewolf - know anywhere in Palm Springs you can recommend? I'm prepared to give it another shot. We have an Elmer's, which according to mojo at the OT, is the bomb for home style cooking...

[Pego]

From the land of the "full breakfast" and you find chicken fried steak disgusting?

No, I found the one chicken fried steak I ate disgusting. To a degree I've never tried it again. Anyway, I used to eat either Kellog's cornflakes or toast and marmalade for breakfast

lonewolf - know anywhere in Palm Springs you can recommend? I'm prepared to give it another shot. We have an Elmer's, which according to mojo at the OT, is the bomb for home style cooking...

For me, Elmer's=Pot roast.

[bad hammy]

We have an Elmer's, which according to mojo at the OT, is the bomb for home style cooking...

My all-time favorite diner chain. How did Palm Springs end up with the only CA outlet?

Edit: I checked their menu and they do have chicken-fried steak. I've never had it there so cannot comment as to the quality. But for $11.49 there is not much to lose.

http://www.elmers-restaurants.com/image ... DnnrSB.pdf

[lonewolf]

Sorry, Palm Springs is not on my chicken fry circuit. Be advised, some places style it as "country fried", no assurance of quality.
I am not familiar with Elmers. Must be a regional chain. Chilis is pretty dependable for decent chick fry. TGIF, not so much.

[AthleticsInBritain]

From the land of the "full breakfast" and you find chicken fried steak disgusting?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_breakfast

It's cholesterol city but there is no finer meal on Earth if done properly. I'm especially fond of black pudding which is slices of a kind of sausage made with pig's blood.

One of the best near me is actually done in a halal cafe so no pork products so it's surprisingly good. Of course, it causes the same controversial debate as vegetarian haggis as to whether it can be called 'real'.

Oh and thanks for pointing us to that article - I finally found out what you folks mean by a 'biscuit with gravy'.